Work Sharp, Not Harder
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WORK SHARPER NOT HARDER In the woods, on the water and the kitchen. WHAT’S THE BEST KNIFE FOR THE JOB? Chef’s Knife Serrated Knife If you were to ask a group of professional chefs A serrated knife makes slicing bread a breeze without mashing to name their most important tool, it’s usually down on the crust. It is used with a sawing motion. Home cooks an 8 to 10-inch chef’s knife. It can be used to who don’t know how to sharpen and maintain the edge of a do just about anything, although a few other non-serrated knife often use a serrated knife to saw through specialized knives do come in handy. vegetables, fruits and meats that are best chopped with a sharp chef’s knife. Paring Knife Boning Knife The Work Sharp A small paring knife is great for small fruits and As the name implies, a boning knife enables the user to slice Combo Sharpener vegetables, delicate work like making garnishes meat away from bones. They are also great for trimming fat off Created for those who want a fast, easy-to-use and for mincing herbs. of meat, quartering poultry and processing fish. machine that sharpens every type of knife you own. www.TheSportingChef.com 2 ARE YOU A SLICER OR A CHOPPER? Saving time in the kitchen might be as simple as changing the way you cut up your vegetables. When cutting a carrot, do you slice or chop? If you’re the slicing kind, it might be because your knife hasn’t been properly sharpened, or perhaps it’s never been sharpened since it left the factory. Perhaps nobody ever showed you the faster way to get the job done. Pick up a 10-pound bag of carrots at the grocery store and take a look at the correct way to chop vegetables efficiently.But before you start chopping, put a super-sharp edge on your kitchen knife with a Work Sharp Sharpener. WATCH: PROPER CHOPPING WATCH: KEN ONION SHARPENER AT WORK www.TheSportingChef.com 3 THE SHARPEST TOOL IN THE SHED In this age of disposable everything, some folks don’t take the time to properly maintain the cutting edges of their tools. From lawnmower blades to kitchen scissors, they all work better after a few minutes of sharpening. WATCH: TOOL SHARPENING www.TheSportingChef.com 4 THE KITCHEN Using a dull knife is not only dangerous, it makes whatever task is at hand much more difficult. A dull knife requires more pressure to get the job done. When the edge of the blade isn’t sharp, it tends to slip or turn in your hand and increase the chance for injury. When cutting something soft like a ripe tomato, the blade of the knife should glide through the skin all the way through to the cutting surface. With a well-maintained chef’s knife, you should be able to slice through soft fruits and vegetables using very little downward pressure. If a serrated steak knife is your go-to kitchen cutlery, it’s probably because you just don’t know how to sharpen the other ones in the drawer. WATCH: WHAT A SHARP KNIFE SHOULD DO www.TheSportingChef.com 5 YOUR TACKLE BOX Pro fishermen understand that the difference between a sharp hook and a dull one can have a big impact at the weigh-in. Dull hooks lose fish. Sharp hooks win tournaments. And while the everyday angler isn’t out there for the money, it still hurts when you lose the big one because of a missed hookset. WATCH: KYLE CRAWFORD - HOW TO SHARPEN FISH HOOKS & FILLET KNIVES www.TheSportingChef.com 6 ...AND YOUR BACK POCKET Those of us who prefer to spend more time outdoors than indoors appreciate a good folding knife. If you’re someone who always carries a pocket knife wherever you go, except through a TSA airport checkpoint, the rest of us appreciate it. Your knife comes in handy when we need to cut a zip tie, rope, duct tape or just open a sealed box. It’s especially impressive if the knife edge is sharp as can be. A dull pocket knife is about as handy as, well, a butter knife. Some folks don’t know that you can sharpen any knife, including tactical and other serrated knives. WATCH: HOW TO SHARPEN A SERRATED POCKET KNIFE www.TheSportingChef.com 7 TECHNOLOGY TO THE RESCUE! There’s a good chance that your parents or grandparents used a simple whetstone to keep their knives sharp. And while a whetstone may be adequate for sharpening older knives, they don’t compare to the technological improvements that come with a Work Sharp sharpeners. A few old schoolers, and some professional chefs, might tell you that fine kitchen cutlery should not be sharpened with any electric sharpener. It’s just not true. Kitchen knives are ground and sharpened with abrasive belt grinders before they leave the factory. Proper maintenance will extend the life of your knives while making the most of your time in the kitchen. WATCH: KEN ONION SHARPENER www.TheSportingChef.com 8 “TOO MUCH SHARPENING REDUCES THE LIFE OF MY KNIVES” True. If you have lesser-grade knives that won’t hold an edge, constant sharpening will eventually compromise the edge. An improperly maintained knife edge may eventually become concave, making it difficult to chop your vegetables. How often you put your knife to sharpener depends on the quality of the blade and how it has been used. For the average home cook, sharpening is only necessary 3 or 4 times each year. In between, maintenance with a honing rod or fine grit diamond abrasive is all that is needed to make the best of your time in the kitchen. If you are the type of person who prefers a more hands-on knife sharpening experience, here are a few tips to give you the sharpest edge possible. Manual sharpening requires attention and patience. If your blade has been chipped or is excessively worn, it may take a great deal of time to achieve a proper edge. 1. Mark the beveled edge on both sides with a colored marker. This will let you know where you have worked the edge and where you may have missed a spot or two. 2. Know that angle of the 90% of all knives have an edge angle between 15 and 20 degrees. Here’s how a Work Sharp Guided Sharpening System takes the guesswork out of sharpening kitchen knives, pocket knives, combination edge knives, fish hooks and more. www.TheSportingChef.com 9 IF THE KNIFE FITS, USE IT If the kitchen knife you use most often is a family heirloom, or perhaps one that you picked up at a yard sale for a couple bucks, either you got a bargain or perhaps it’s time to invest in a good knife or two. You don’t have to take out a loan to get good kitchen cutlery. For about $20, you can buy a chef’s knife that will last for decades, as long as it is properly maintained. Tips for shopping for the perfect knife: Grip. When you pick up the knife, the handle should fit comfortably in your hand. If it doesn’t, don’t buy it. Length. An 8-inch chef’s knife is essential for both home cooks and professional chefs. While a shorter blade might be less intimidating, it CORRECT GRIP creates more work during prep time. Longer blades can be a bit cumbersome, especially when working in crowded spaces. Style. Choose a Western-style design for more durability, meat centric tasks and longer edge life. Choose an Eastern design if you prefer a more keen edge, perform more vegetable cutting tasks and are willing to be more careful with your use and maintenance. EASTERN STYLE Thickness. If breaking down whole chickens rather than buying chicken parts is the norm, consider a thicker, more substantial blade. Thinner, more flexible blades are great for shopping vegetables and removing the skin from a salmon, but your more rigid blades are better for bigger jobs. WESTERN STYLE Material. Most kitchen knives are made from either high-carbon or stainless steel. High-carbon steel sharpens easily. Stainless steel takes a little more time to sharpen, but it will hold an edge longer. Ceramic knives are gaining popularity as are Japanese knives. They all work. The one you buy will CERAMIC KNIFE depend on your budget, the type of food preparation you do most often and how the knife feels when you put it to work. www.TheSportingChef.com 10 MAINTENANCE Keep your knives clean and sharp for best performance. Do not put them in the dishwasher or hand wash them. Use a wood or plastic cutting board, not a glass cutting board or hard surface. Keep knives sharp and safely organized in a knife block or a magnet rail, not tossed into a drawer. Abide by these simple rules and you will safely enjoy a sharp knife every time you cook. Knives have a place in our lives no matter where we are, out in the field, out on the water or back home in the kitchen. Make sure your knife is sharp and ready for the task and everything will go much easier and safer. Work Sharp is committed to providing a knife and tool sharpener with your needs in mind. The Combo Knife Sharpener was created for those who want a fast, easy-to-use machine that sharpens every type of knife you own.